Tooley’s Boatyard in Banbury, one of the oldest working dry docks is facing a serious challenge following repeated closures of the Oxford Canal.
Tooley’s has a special place in IWA’s history. It was from Banbury Tom Rolt set out aboard Cressy in 1939, beginning the journey described in his book Narrow Boat. The book inspired the campaign to save Britain’s canals and led to the formation of IWA.
Today, Tooley’s remains a working boatyard rather than simply a historic site. It is a Scheduled Monument employing eight people, including apprentices learning traditional skills.
The prolonged closure of the Oxford Canal is putting that living heritage at risk. The canal was closed for around six months in 2025 because of drought, followed by a further two months of disruption caused by flooding. The latest drought-related closure began in August 2026, with no indication yet of when navigation will resume.
Unlike many boatyards, Tooley’s has no permanent moorings. Its business relies on boats being able to reach the yard for docking, hull blacking and repairs. With navigation restricted, the yard has been forced to rely on work that can be carried out on boats accessible from the towpath, which is not enough to sustain its normal level of activity.
The consequences extend beyond the immediate financial impact. Research into the yard’s history has documented a continuous sequence of operators stretching back to at least 1795, with apprenticeship at the dockyard traced to 1809. Traditional wooden boatbuilding and repair, canal art and boat painting continue to be practised at Tooley’s, with both crafts included on the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts.
Matthew Armitage said:
“I have operated Tooley’s for 24 years. There have always been stoppages and difficult periods, but I have never had to think so seriously about whether boats will be able to reach us often enough to keep the yard working. We are still taking jobs where we can, travelling to boats along the towpath and at other yards and marinas. It takes longer, and work that would be straightforward in our dock often requires another visit for a part or a tool. We have customers waiting. What we need is for their boats to be able to get here.”
The situation highlights the wider impact that prolonged waterway closures can have on businesses, employment, skills and living heritage.
The empty dry dock does, however, offer an opportunity. Tooley’s are hoping to restore Hardy, the last boat built by Nurser Brothers of Braunston. Tooley’s saved it from destruction in 2018, but it now needs urgent work. More information here.
IWA is supporting Tooley’s in highlighting the importance of keeping the canal network navigable and protecting the working businesses and skills that depend upon it.
